Values and Principles to Guide Employment Programming
and Policy

At Heartland
Alliance’s National Initiatives on Poverty & Economic
Opportunity, our
policy goals and program recommendations are based on research,
evidence, and data—but they are also driven by values rooted in human
rights and the dignity of all people. These are the values that have
guided our work in the employment field since our inception.

See our
commitments and how we plan to look forward to help
establish these values and principles throughout the nation for the benefit of
every person who wants to work.

Join the Twitter Chat to #ProtectSNAP Today!

September is Hunger Action Month—and also a prime time to step up and protect the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP keeps food on the table and lifts millions of people out of poverty each year—but as Congress moves toward finalizing a Farm Bill, this crucial support is under threat as a result of harmful provisions included in the House Farm Bill. We need YOUR help to spread the word and protect SNAP by encouraging Congress to adopt the Senate Farm Bill. Join national advocates on Twitter TODAY at 1 PM ET/12 PM CT to learn about and share why it’s critical to protect and strengthen SNAP. Follow #FoodFri to join in! You can find your Members’ twitter handles here.

What to say/tweet? Tell your Members of Congress to adopt the Senate Farm Bill because…

• All people deserve access to food.

• SNAP is the nation’s most effective anti-hunger program.

• SNAP keeps more than 8 million people out of poverty, including nearly 4 million children.

• Taking food away from people will only deepen hunger and poverty in America. Congress needs to focus on increasing economic opportunity for ALL by advancing policies that create good jobs and boost the poverty-level minimum wage.

• SNAP has helped me and my family get back on our feet.

New Case Studies: LifeWorks and LA: RISE

The Need for Legal
Services: Case Study of the LA RISE Program

Integrating legal
services into workforce strategies for people experiencing homelessness
can help ensure that jobseekers receive the legal support needed to
overcome structural inequities in the legal system and achieve their
employment goals. This case study discusses why and how the Los
Angeles Regional Initiative for Social Enterprise (LA:RISE) incorporated legal
services into their employment programming approach. The case study
highlights keys to success and tips for how other communities can
integrate legal services into workforce strategies.

Implementing the
Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model can boost employment
outcomes for transition-age youth. LifeWorks, a non-profit organization
serving transition-age youth and their families in Austin, TX,
realized that workforce models popular within the youth development
field may not address the significant and complex challenges faced
by their participants. LifeWorks staff began to look toward
behavioral health approaches to employment and discovered the IPS model.
This case study discusses how IPS offered LifeWorks a new approach
to workforce support for youth that might better address the types of
challenges their participants faced.